If you are into original worship music, check out Brandon Grissom's new EP! It should be dropping into a record store near you (if you happen to live in Chicago)... or itunes... today.
Are you World Wide?
"My Name is Lisa" is a short film about the Alzheimer's Disease, which is one of many serious and scary diseases still without a cure. Alzheimer's causes gradual memory loss. For more info, go to: www.alz.org
For my mom who inspite of having serious back and neck pain every day, Keeps on being an incredible mom and person.
I pray for my cousins who are in the war. I pray that you would keep them safe.
To help my relative get off the drugs. It is the second time she’s been addicted, after getting out of Rehab. God please help! I love you.
(that) my mom’s cancer won’t come back.
I want to fully give my life to you. I want You to control my life. Please, Father, take control.
Lord, a friend of mine is in trouble. She isn’t married and is pregnant. I pray that she feels you grace in this time of trouble.
Please pray for my friends sister who is 17 and is pregnant. She Is due in 1 month.
My best friend’s parents are getting a divorce. Its really hard on my friend and her brothers. Please help them to get through it ok.
I want to pray for my mom. She doesn’t believe in God, won’t come to church and needs to feel God’s presence and love in her life.
I want to pray for a girl at my school. Everyone is so mean to her and I admit I am sometimes too. I hope she keeps her faith strong.
I pray for the people in other countries risking their lives to share the gospel.
Please help my fiends to realize that being bolemic is so bad for them and that I would fight the temptation also.
I want to pray for my friends that they will come to church. They think Church is dumb and I just wish they would believe in you.
Please help my father to find the Right path. Help him to pay his debts off so he can live his life once again.
My aunt has given up on Christ. It makes our whole family sad because we can’t help her.
I pray that I would be able to hold myself back with boys because I want to go further than I should
I pray that I would stop hurting myself & Pray 4 the other people on the wall! Please let it me no go too far w/boys
For my uncle that he would stop drinking and doing drugs
I pray for my friend…and his drinking problem
Pray for me that I will be able to stand firm in my walk with Christ. Pray for my friend, he just accepted Christ today. May he stay firm in his commitment.
Here are some highlights of what other students wrote as the interacted with the Cross station.
Lord, I feel my relationship with you is slipping away because I never focus on u but on the little gods, and because of my sin. Please help me to focus on u more. Please help our relationship to grow.
I need to confess that I sinned on the computer and that you would forgive me.
help me with my self-image. I really need your help, Lord. Please help me to make good decisions and to like myself more.
Forgive me for expecting SO little from You.
I am struggling in my grades and very much falling behind. I am really struggling with my brother who... needs help.
Dear God, I need guidance, I feel like everythings spinning out of control I’m worried about my dad's surgery, my bros smoking and other things – help
I confess: lying to my parents so much and telling them im not going to do something and then going and doing it.
. Wanting to go farther with guys then I should.
. Started thinking of going bolemic at some points.
Forgive me Lord for not turning to you during my struggles and hardships.
I am struggling with my parents divorce. It has been really tough since they got divorced... I hope you can help me get through this.
Lord, help me to keep serving you. I want to make the right decisions. Satan has no power over me.
One of our stations on tuesday was the Throne. At this station we reflected on God's awesome power and control of the universe. Here is what some of our students had to say:
Thank you for your endless mercy. You are amazing and I’ve been to distracted to realize that.
Awesome God full off wonders, I worship you today and thank you for letting me be here tonight thank you for being my stronghold and refuge
Dear God, Thanks for being there for me when I need you the most and helping me get through times when I feel like there isn’t any one left that cares about me, you remind me that I’m never alone and that you love me an dthat my parents do. Thank you for that & just calming me when I feel the lowest you help me up. Just like in All in All, you fill my cup and worthy is your name. You are truly amazing I see it every day and you help remind me of whats really important, Thanks alot.
Jesus I cant thank you enough for all you have done for me. Dying on the cross was so amazing for you to do for me, I don’t know very many people who would die for everyone in the world! I love you so much and I want to show my love, I want to become closer to you. I love you SO much, and I can’t wait until I can go to heaven and throw my arms around you. I really want to become closer to you, and I hope that will happen. I want to thank you for Brandon, because without him I would not be writing this, I’ve learned and grown spirtally because of him. I bless him, thanks for my life and for everything you do. Thanks!
Thank you so much For Loving me.
Lord, Thank you for a wonderful family that will bring me to Nexus every week. They have helped me to become a spiritual 12-year-old that loves God (you). I hope to be a pastor in the upcoming years. Your Daughter,
Dear God, Thank you for all you have done for me in the past four weeks. I never thought I could read the bible everyday! I feel like a missionary lately, I’ve been teaching my musslum friend about you and I been taking by Chinese friend to church. I never relized I’d been such a brat, until I read Colosians, that chanched my life.
Dear God, I love these worship nights. They really help me to reflect on my life in a welcoming environment. I want to thank you for Nexus and Brandon. Thank you that we can come to learn about you, and thanks that we have a great pastor to teach us. You’ve helped me through everything, Lord. I’m now definitely less scared to do certain things than I was before because I know that you’re with me. I just thank you for always being there for me and helping me get through though times.
This week at Nexus we had an awesome worship night! For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation"
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Neatorama reader Walt Anthony shares with us his blog, geared to educate kids about optical illusions. Walt did a good job in explaining the illusions in the post:
Anomalous Motion Optical Illusion aka Peripheral Drift Optical Illusion is characterized by anomalous motion that can be observed in peripheral vision. […]
Keep in mind that this is a static image. It is not animated in any way. but as your vision moves back and forth the center area seems to be moving toward the center (contracting) and the outer edges seem to be moving away (expanding) from the center. Also worth noting is that if you fixate on a point in the center and don’t move your eyes this anomalous motion will stop.
I love despair.com. It is one of my favorite websites and has been since I was in college. While normally I stick to their demotivator lineup, these seemed to be the perfect gift idea for our Squeaky Clean and Paparazzi lessons...Bittersweets®
For most, there is no crueler day of the calendar year than that of Valentine's Day. While a tiny fraction of the population can look forward to a holiday of wine and roses, poetry and song, the vast majority of us can anticipate a day of nausea and grimacing, trauma and grief. A day in which minutes seem like hours, and hours like days, as we reflect sorrowfully on yesteryear's romantic indignities, today's loneliness, and the unknowable but certain heartbreak that will be visited upon us repeatedly in the years to come.
When cruelty and holidays collide, the weak-willed find solace in self-pity and comfort foods. And now, Despair Inc. is pleased to announce that we've combined BOTH into a radical new offering.
Introducing Bittersweets® - The Valentine's Candy for the Rest of Us.
Like the ubiquitous candy conversation hearts, Bittersweets® are made of flavored, chalky-tasting sugar and sport a message on their face. But unlike other candy hearts, ours are stamped with bitter musings and mockeries perfectly suited to the dejected spirits of those who will spend the holiday alone, or wishing they were.
Messages recalling an almost forgotten, unbearably painful memory of being dumped. Or perhaps of a dysfunctional, psychotic ex-girlfriend or boyfriend. Or of that cruel-hearted girl (or boy) in elementary school who rejected your valentine solicitations, informing you that Jake (or Holly) was "so totally way hotter."
Now available in THREE unique collections- "Dejected", "Dysfunctional", and "Dumped"- with each featuring up to 37 unique sayings each!
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, CLOTHE yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
A lot of people don't realize that when they become a Christian they are given a new name.3:11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."
Gal 3:26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Hey friends... this tuesday we will be responding to what God has done in our lives through the book of Colossians...
God's name and his reputation go hand in hand.17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Half full or Half Empty really is the wrong question...
I think that we often do not think enough about the universe... and particularly how incredible it is.Colossians 1:16 For in [Jesus Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,... all things have been created through him and for him.
Colossians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
Everyone worships something. In the Ancient days people used to make idols out of wood and stone and metal. They would select a tree and then cut it into pieces. From the pieces they would burn some to heat their house and make their food, and then use the rest to carve into an idol. Isaiah was a prophet of God who lived around this time. God sent him to tell people to stop making idols. He said,Isaiah 44:16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
"Ah! I am warm; I see the fire."
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
"Save me! You are my god!"
19 No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
"Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a [idol] from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"
Because the ancients wanted to be able to control their gods and make the gods do things for them, they made their gods small enough to carry around with them. They wanted to be able to manipulate their gods and make them do the things the people wanted.
A lot of Christians are mostly dead. 
